The Power of Love
by FantasyEmpress
Summary: WHat happens after that huge whirlpool fight in the AWE trailer? WHo dies? WHo gets the girl? What evil is the rejected man driven to? Can Jack Sparrow escape his newest, most hateful, enemy? Can love conquer even the evil it sometimes breeds? Sparrabeth.
1. The Miracle of Love

**No copyright infringement intended: just for fun**

Jack watched Jones fall to the deck below the mast, conscious that even a fall from that height would not kill Jones. Only his heart being stabbed could do that. Jack grabbed a rope and swung down to the deck below, noticing several things. Will had the chest open and a dagger in his hand. Davy looked somewhat worried about that. Elizabeth came running from where she had been disposing of two fish fellows. Beckett was nowhere to be seen.

Jack stood in front of Jones, holding him back with the tip of his sword. He glanced toward Elizabeth, and to his horror, saw Beckett rise up from behind a barrel, aim his pistol, and shoot. Without a sound, Elizabeth fell to the deck. Jack drew his pistol and shot Beckett through the heart. At the same moment, Will plunged the knife into Jones' heart, and the captain of The Flying Dutchman fell to the ground. Will stood up and saw Elizabeth collapsed on the deck, Jack already rushing to her side.

Jack hurried to Elizabeth, a dozen frightening thoughts rushing through his head. He had mentally prepared himself for her leaving his life, going back to Port Royal to marry Will. If it made her happy, he would accept it. Personally, he doubted she loved Will as much as she felt it her duty to love him. But he had accepted that Will was her choice.

But now, all he could think of was that he was going to lose the woman he loved. Softly, he felt for a pulse, and finding her still alive, he leaned down closer to her.

"Lizzie. Lizzie, can you hear me." "………Jack…..what happened?" her voice was almost imperceptible. "Beckett shot you. I killed him." He tugged her shirt open as he spoke, having no thought for her womanhood, just wanting to save her. "Am…I…going to…die?" The wound was close to her heart, and had probably gone through a lung. She coughed up blood. He felt a call to be honest. "Lizzie, I know you want the truth, so I'll give it to you, luv. I don't think I can save you now, but I will come for you, like you did me. I'll bring you back." Will was kneeling on the deck nearby, apparently in shock, just staring at his fiancé wasting her last moments on another man.

"Jack…you can't save me…I…gave up…my…right… I loved you…too much…Only Tia knows…what I had to do. Jack…I…" her voice faded off, and for a moment, Jack thought he had lost her. He was puzzled and elated and heartbroken by what she had said. Why couldn't he come save her? What had she had to do that only Tia knew of? Suddenly, she spoke again, her voice hoarse and whispering through blood stained lips. "I….love…you, Jack………..goodbye." Gently, he leaned down. "I love you, Lizzie." And then he kissed her lips even as her last breath left them. When he pulled back, her soft dead lips were curved in the slightest trace of a smile.

Not even looking at Will, who had begun crying in a mixture of pain and anger, Jack walked to where Beckett's body lay, and, ensuring that the sharks he had seen earlier were still present in the water, he threw the body overboard. Then he walked up to where Tia Dalma had just dispatched one of the last of Jones' loyal men. The crew of the Dutchman had become normal men when their captain died, and only a few had not immediately surrendered. The EIC men had either fled or been slain much earlier.

"Tia. Beckett shot Elizabeth. She's dead. We need to get her back." Despite her dark skin, Tia paled. "We can't Jack." "She said that too, but why not? You saved me." "No. _She _saved you. You see, when you want to save a person from the locker, one person has to give up their right to be saved when they die. I told only Elizabeth this, because she loved you and she felt she owed you. I knew if I told the others, Will would not let her do it, and you see, it had to be a woman. Each person can save _one_ person of the opposite gender from the locker, and in doing so, they give up the right to be saved themselves. I would have done it, but Barbossa was my one man saved. Elizabeth was completely willing. She saved you, and now you cannot save her."

Jack stood by the rail that night, alone and sorrowful. Elizabeth lay on the deck beside him, dead and cold. He wished there was something, anything, he could do to turn back time, to just let himself be hanged back in Port Royal. No one would have come after him, he'd just be gone, and Elizabeth would have lived happily ever after.

He knelt beside the body, and let his tears fall down. Slowly, he reached for the little ring he had hanging in his hair. It was one of the few trinkets he had come by honestly, for his father had given it to his mother, who had given it to him right before she died. Of course, he had no idea where his father had gotten it. He loosened it from the tangled mass of dreadlocks and held it to his lips. Then, he slipped it onto Elizabeth's ring finger. Will had taken his ring from her finger and thrown it overboard. He noticed that the ring Will had given her had been too small for Elizabeth's finger, and had left a painful looking mark. Everything about Will had been too small for Elizabeth; his life too restricted, his freedom limited to what went on in Port Royal. Jack noticed how easily and beautifully his mother's ring fit on Elizabeth's finger. How he wished he had given it to he while she lived.

He lifted her left hand to his lips, again kissing the ring, tasting the salt of tears on his lips. "I love you Elizabeth." He pressed her hand to his heart. Then, he stood up and turned back to the rail.

Suddenly, he heard a soft moan behind him. He spun around, expecting to see Will, probably with a sword drawn, ready to kill him. But there was no one but himself and the body of his beloved. He looked at the body, and suddenly felt shock wash over him. She was bleeding. People who had been dead for several hours didn't bleed. Then she groaned. He was certain this time.

"Tia!" He called frantically, and Tia came quickly. "Tia, she's bleeding. And she groaned twice! She's alive!" Tia hurried to Elizabeth and checked for a pulse. "I don't know what you did, but she's alive. If we don't stop that bleeding though, she's gonna die again right quick. Take her into your cabin, and don't let the others know about it." She scurried down the stairs to get some things.

Jack took off Elizabeth's bloodstained top, and then used a blanket to cover anything that didn't absolutely need to be uncovered. He used a rag to wipe off the blood, then felt a moment of shock. She had stopped bleeding, and there was only a scar where the bullet had entered. A scar that looked like it had been there for years. He checked to ensure she was still alive, and found her pulse stronger than before. Suddenly, something occurred to him. Did this miracle have something to do with the ring? She was breathing normally, and then her eyes opened.

"Jack, what happened? How did you….? This is impossible. I was dead, Jack, and I gave my right to be saved to you." Her voice was as strong and healthy as ever. "I don't know luv. You just came back. Maybe Tia can explain."

Tia came into the room and looked shocked, which made the situation even more puzzling, since Tia often seemed to understand everything. Just then, Elizabeth, who was sitting up and covering herself more thoroughly with the blanket, noticed the ring on her finger. "What's this?" Enlightenment flooded Tia's face. She hurried over to the bed, then looked at Jack. "Did you put this on her finger?" "Yes. It was a sort of parting gift. It was my mother's." Tia grinned, showing teeth which had become very white when Jones' died. "I've always wanted to see one of these. There are only four of them in the entire world, though long ago there were many. These rings are embodiment rings. They embody the feelings that the giver has when he or she gives it away. It you hold it and hate someone, then give it to the person you hate, the person will die. If you love someone, then give it to the person you love, they will have much love and happiness, or, if they happen to be dead, may come back to life if the love of the giver is strong enough. Jack, your love saved Elizabeth." She smiled, then left, saying one last thing as she left. "I will not tell the others, that is your job." She motioned Jack out the door, then spoke to him quietly. "She is weak, and remember, your _love _saved her, not your lust. True love, which I know is what you feel for her, will save things like lust until the time is right. Tonight, the time is not right. Take care of her, do not debauch her. Goodnight Jack."

Jack went back into the cabin, his mind still ringing with Tia's words. Up until she mentioned it, he had not even thought about what he could have from Elizabeth tonight. Despite that she was weak, he knew she would not refuse him her body. But he knew Tia was right. This was not the right time to take his beloved in the physical sense. He knew just when the right time would be. But for tonight, he would love Elizabeth with his heart, not his body.

The next morning, after the crew found out about Elizabeth, Will couldn't take the fact that Jack's love had been what brought Elizabeth back. He took the chest in which Davy Jones had buried his heart, and he took his dagger that his father, who Jones had killed, had given him, and, after shooting one last look at the cabin which Jack had locked himself in with Elizabeth, he took the longboat and rowed toward the distant shore.

Despite what Will thought was happening in the cabin, Jack had kept his promise to himself. He slept in a large chair by the bed. In the morning, he had announced Elizabeth's resurrection, then fled to the cabin, leaving Tia to explain how it all happened. He had mostly fled because he didn't want to fight Will. He sat beside Elizabeth and softly took her hand. She watched him, silent.

He slipped his ring off her finger. She sighed, worried that he was reclaiming his heart. But instead, he looked into her eyes and spoke softly. "Lizzie my love, will you marry me? Wear my magical little ring forever?"

She couldn't believe it. Captain Jack Sparrow wanted to _marry _her! The only word her mind could formulate at that moment was the one she whispered against his lips.

"Yes"

Jack slept in a hammock in the crew's quarters for the next three weeks. The search for Will proved fruitless, much to Jack's private relief. When Jack and Elizabeth were married, Elizabeth was completely healthy, with only scars to mark her death. His father, sober for once, performed the ceremony. It was a beautiful wedding, a second chance at life for two people who had been beyond the grave.

And that night, Jack knew the time was right.


	2. The End of Love

Will stared at the dagger in his hands, pondering the sad mess his life had become. Once, he had resigned himself to the fact that he could not have the woman he loved. He knew that some well situated man like James Norrington would have Elizabeth. He prepared himself for the day he, along with the whole town, would show up to watch the governor's beautiful daughter marry some rich young man, or perhaps even an old man. It wouldn't matter much, as long as he was rich. Yes, Will knew it would happen eventually, and he had long since given up on ever having the woman he loved.

What he had not prepared for was having her, and then losing her again. He had not prepared to lose her on his wedding day. That was when it started. Jack Sparrow had been long gone then, any interest he might have had in Elizabeth probably long dead, long drowned out by rum and Tortuga's women. Then, to be arrested, with her, on his wedding day, on account of Jack Sparrow, was a huge shock. But the really horrible part was that he now knew that their arrest had been the beginning of a chain of events which would lead to him losing Elizabeth.

When he found Jack, the pirate seemed to hardly remember Elizabeth; sometimes he couldn't even seem to remember her name. But to Will, Jack's forgetfulness seemed forced and fake, as if he wished he had forgotten as much as he pretended to. When Jack tricked him onto Jones' ship, Will half wondered if Jack would then go get Elizabeth out of jail and seduce her into a pirate's lifestyle. He was aware that Elizabeth had always had a thing for pirates. He remembered the horror of finding Elizabeth's wedding dress on the _Edinburgh Trader _and realizing that Elizabeth had gone to Jack rather than the other way around. He had been terrified by the thought that she and Jack were probably on the _Black Pearl _together even as the _Trader _went down, and that nobody would really care what they did together. Nobody on Jack's ship would interfere with Jack's relationships, even though they knew Will.

Will remembered how, when she greeted him with a kiss on the island where they were reunited, Jack had looked annoyed, almost as if he had some claim on her.

Will thought about how he had been heartbroken, but not surprised, to see Elizabeth kiss Jack. He remembered the relief of watching his rival pulled beneath the waves only moments later.

Will had been angry when Elizabeth indicated she wanted to get Jack back. She admitted only a short time later that she had killed him, and yet she wanted him back! Will didn't want to go, but he still loved Elizabeth, so he agreed.

They saved Jack, and though he felt a certain undercurrent between Jack and Elizabeth, Will felt that he could now win Elizabeth back. During the final battle, he asked her to marry him again, and after a moment of shock, she agreed. During a dull moment in the fighting, when the enemy had paused their boarding until they were on the upper side of the whirlpool, she quietly approached Jack and told him. He said something that Will couldn't quite hear, then bent and brushed his lips lightly on hers. It seemed to almost be a "Goodbye, good luck" kiss, and Jack grinned at Elizabeth, then turned away. Moments later, Jack was on the mast, dueling Davy Jones himself. He eventually had knocked Jones down, and from there had transpired a series of events that left Elizabeth lying on the deck dying. She was dying, and she was completely ignoring Will, focusing the last of her energy on Jack. He said something to her in a whisper, then he kissed her.

When Jack pulled back, Elizabeth was dead.

Will had sat sobbing on the deck while Jack walked by him without a glance. He had tried to accept it, but the hard part was that she odviously had died loving Jack, not him. He had been shocked and incredibly happy when Jack popped out of his cabin the next morning and declared that "Miss Swan" was alive and resting peacefully in his cabin. This was all the more shocking after the announcement last night that they could not go back to the world's end and save Elizabeth. Will had been ready to rush to her side, but Jack had scurried back to his cabin, and they could all hear the locks turn. Then Tia had explaind that it was Jack's love that saved Elizabeth and that it was very probable that they would be getting married.

Will left, a half formed plan filling his mind. He took only the chest Jones' heart had been in and the dagger. He rowed to the nearby island where they had buried Davy Jones.

That was where he was sitting now, thinking over his past. He turned the dagger over, thinking about Jones' story. He felt a sudden sorrow for the sea devil who he had killed with this very dagger. He too had been destroyed by a fickle woman. Idly, Will pressed the blade to his chest, wondering why Jones hadn't died when he cut out his heart. Oh well, either he would live or he wouldn't. Either would be miserable. He dug the dagger in. When he held his heart in his hand, he felt numb with shock. His own beating heart, held in his hand! Carefully, lowered it into the little chest, then buried it in the sand, as low as he could get with just his hands and the bloodcovered dagger. Then, adjusting to the strange empty feeling, he walked to the edge of the sea and experimentally held up his hand.

Out of the deeps the _Flying Dutchman _appeared. On board, the few crewman who had still been on the ship when Jones died, and had thus not been released, stood looking at him.

Maccus stepped forward and raised a hand.

"Orders, Captain?"


	3. The Hate of Love

**Yes, Will may seem outrageously evil; but think of him as a POTC Anakin, turned to the Dark Side, not _completely _evil inside, but covering what good is left with horrible evil, like when Anakin kills all those kids in the Jedi temple.**

Jack rolled onto his side and looked at Elizabeth. She was fast asleep, which was to be expected considering the ravishing way in which he had made her his wife the night before. She was beautiful, and he couldn't believe she was his. The idea of settling down with one woman had forever been repulsive to him, but Elizabeth…well, marrying her could hardly be considered settling down. The only thing he would have to change about himself was his womanizing; and ever since he had met Lizzie, Tortuga's whores looked less and less appealing, so he didn't have any trouble with the idea of giving them up. Plus, Lizzie was extremely pleasing, last night had revealed that, and he loved her enough to be faithful even if sometime in the far, far future, she bored him in the physical sense. If his love could bring her back from beyond the grave, surely it could prevent him from straying. He was considering waking her up and reliving the night before, but he heard Gibbs calling. He swore and hopped out of the bed, quickly donning his scattered clothes. He had told Gibbs not to disturb them, so this must be important. Lizzie sat up and glared at him. "Where are you going?" "Gibbs is callin' luv. He wouldn't if it weren't important." He kissed her, grinned, then left.

Jack marched to where Gibbs stood, looking sufficiently sorry for calling. "What's the meaning of calling me this early the mornin' after me weddin'? I should drag ya behind the ship on a rope fer a bit!" "Sorry Jack, but a nasty lookin' ship was a couple leagues back. Reminded me of _The Flying Dutchman. _Then it disappeared." "What d'ya mean, it disappeared?" "Jus' that. It vanished. There's no trace of sails anywhere on the horizon. But most of the crew saw it. There _was _a ship." Elizabeth, looking delightfully tussled, came up beside Jack. "What's going on?" she asked cheerfully. "Seems there's a disappearing ship following us. I think the crew just needs to sleep off all the rum we gave 'em last night so they wouldn't be listening at the cabin door." Lizzie blushed prettily, and Jack laughed.

Suddenly, like a bad case of Déjà vu, Jack saw the _Flying Dutchman _rise out of the water only a few yards from the _Pearl. _But it was not Davy Jones who stood facing him now. Yes, this evil creature did look somewhat similar, but it was definitely not Jones. He had tentacles for hair, hanging down to his shoulders, and his face was much the same color and texture as Jones' had been, but he lacked the large tentacle beard. He held in his hand a dagger which was excruciatingly familiar to Jack. It was the dagger that had killed Davy Jones, and it belonged to Will Turner, who had been missing for three weeks.

At first, Jack made himself believe that this creature had killed Will and stolen the dagger. But he knew the truth, deep in his heart. Will Turner was the new captain of the _Flying Dutchman. _

"Jack Sparrow!" Will's voice didn't sound much different, except for the quality of hate and anger that was present in it. "Jack Sparrow, do you know what Davy Jones did to the woman he loved and her new lover? Nothing. He let them live happily ever after, and condemned himself to misery. I will not be so lenient. I will have Elizabeth, even if it means killing you in the process. And she will learn to love me again. Beware Sparrow, if you put up a fight, I will have every one of your fingernails and your toenails pulled out. Then, every hair of your head pulled out one by one. Then, I will have your feet cut off. Next, your hands. As you lay screaming in agony, I will force you to watch while I take Elizabeth's body, and as I do, you will be losing your manhood by this very dagger. I will then throw you in a cell and let you bleed to death as one of my men gouges out your eyes and forces you to swallow them. Does that sound appealing, Sparrow?" Elizabeth was sobbing; not from fear, but from sorrow that her former fiancé had become so evil. Jack was mad; he had been listening almost nonchalantly to the threats until the part about raping Elizabeth. That made him mad; the rest was just rather annoying. He and Elizabeth had both been dead; it hardly seemed like such a big deal anymore. As long as one of them was alive and had that ring, they would be okay. Not that all that pain _before _death sounded good. He reached out to take Lizzie's hand, then turned to answer Will. "No, it doesn't sound hugely appealing. But remember, when you try to kill me, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, I always escape, and I doubt that part with Lizzie will be possible, considering I still firmly believe you're a eunuch. Now, is this torture session to begin immediately, or will you give Lizzie an' I some time to think if we should just give her to ya?" Lizzie didn't even look at him; she knew he needed to buy time, to get them to land. However, they both knew that Will wasn't stupid; he knew what they were trying to do. So neither was surprised when he said "Decide here and now, Sparrow. Give her up, and I'll slit your throat. Fight, and I'll do everything I threatened. Death either way, you just choose the pain level. Either way, I get Elizabeth. You have five minutes to choose, and don't leave the rail."

Elizabeth turned to Jack and began speaking quietly. Eventually, he kissed her softly but passionately. Suddenly, he was infinitely grateful for the fact that they had gotten married, had had their one night. If this plan didn't work, he would never have her again. Jack turned to the rail. "I love you Lizzie." He said what might be his last words to her, then spoke to Will, effecting nonchalance. "She wants me to give her to ya, eunuch. But she wants ya not ta kill me. That seems fair; you get her, I get me. All I wanted from her was what I got last night; and you can't ever have it. You may take her body, but she ain't no virgin. Anyhow, I had what I wanted, you can have her now. Turns out that stupid ring didn't bring Lizzie back, actually it was some spell Tia put on her, then claimed it was love so I'd marry the wench instead of jus' takin' her body. Thought I should do it proper like, Tia did."

Will was outraged. "Fine, I won't kill you. Send her over." He had his men throw over a boarding plank. Elizabeth turned to Jack for a last moment. She held the ring on her finger to her lips, then the tear falling from her eye, then to her heart. She slid the ring off and put it in his hand, then walked over the plank. She and Jack both knew that Will would kill Jack as soon as Elizabeth was not there to see. Will shoved her into his cabin, slammed the door, and locked it from the outside. She knew he was going back and would kill Jack. She cried quietly, directing all her love to the man who would soon be dead.

Will walked over the plank to the other ship; his glare sending Jack's men scurrying to wherever they could get that was far away from him. Jack stood still. Will drew his sword and lunged at Jack, who, drawing quickly, fought back half-heartedly. To make this work, he knew he must die. He made Will think he was fighting for his life, but after a sufficient lapse in time, he allowed himself to be disarmed, and knelt to have his throat cut.

The dagger ending his life felt strange. He felt like he was a bystander, watching an upstart Davy Jones wannabe kill the great Captain Jack Sparrow. Then he felt the blood flooding from his throat. He lay down, listening. As he had hoped, when Will ordered his men to throw the dying man overboard, Gibbs asked if they could have the body. "We want ta give him a proper like ceremony." The first mate stated. Will laughed harshly but gave a curt nod and went back to his ship. Jack sighed his last breath, then died.

Two minutes later, he opened his eyes and looked at his men, who were talking in shocked, mournful voices. He felt himself still bleeding and waited, knowing it would stop. After a moment or two, he touched his neck, and though the blood still covered his throat he could feel the scar forming. He waited another moment, assuring himself he was strong enough to stand, then he rose and called to the crew. They all stopped and stared. Was their captain immortal? He grinned and held up the ring, making his recovery self-explanatory. Then, he spoke, feeling infinitely relieved that the ring had done its job.

"Time to catch the devil."


	4. The Victory of Love

Jack considered his options. Elizabeth had told him he should head as fast as he could to the Isle de la Muerte de Diablo, where they had buried Jones. It was the only place Will could have gone when he left, since it was the only island anywhere to be seen when Will went missing. Elizabeth said he should go and get the chest, then come and negotiate with Will. But Jack knew that by the time he got the chest and caught up with Will, Elizabeth would have no doubt been raped and perhaps tortured. Will had obviously not thought well ahead when turning himself into the devil; he had left the key to the chest on the _Pearl_. Jack made a decision. He would find the chest and stab Will's heart. He knew Elizabeth didn't want to see her childhood friend and former love die, but in Jack's mind, that had already happened. The good man who had been Will Turner was as gone as if he had died already. Jack knew that the evil that was now Will would hurt his wife, and he wasn't about to let that happen. No negotiation; he had to stab the heart.

When they reached the island, he pulled out his compass, feeling a bit of a sinking feeling. He swore under his breath when the compass pointed stubbornly out to sea. Why did all this have to happen the day after his wedding? What he wanted most was Elizabeth, and he couldn't seem to focus his heart on finding the chest. He sighed, then told the crew to begin digging all over. Then, he stared at the compass; as if by glaring at it he could get the image of his wife in bed out of his head. Then, another image hit him like a bullet to the heart. His wife in bed, but not his bed; his wife being forced by a maniacal devil who claimed he wanted her love. Suddenly, the compass swung in a different direction. Grabbing a shovel, he followed the compass until it swung opposite, telling him he'd gone too far. Finding what appeared to be the right place he dug down and quite quickly found what he was looking for. Jack pulled the small chest out of the sand and set it down. He hoped Elizabeth was alright so far; but he was aware that she had been with Will for some five hours. He hoped she had been able to hold him off.

Elizabeth watched Will nervously. He was pacing; hands held behind his back. Thinking. Perhaps, she hoped, he was rethinking all this evil. Perhaps he would let her go unharmed. She had been here for four and a half hours already, and he hadn't approached her yet. Suddenly, he spun towards her, his eyes colder and harder than she had ever seen. Her hopes faded. "I killed him. Your precious pirate. He's gone. You might as well adjust to loving me; but you don't have to. I'll have you whether you love me or not, you just might enjoy it more if you do." He resumed pacing. After a while, he turned back and marched towards her. "Alright, take off your clothes or I'll cut them off you." "Will, what's happened to you? If you loved me, you'd let me be happy." Will didn't even acknowledge her. He pinned her against the wall and lowered his mouth to hers. His kiss was bruising and vicious. She squirmed, fighting against him. If she had a weapon, she would have killed him then, even though she hadn't wanted Will dead. Then she remembered she couldn't kill him, not without stabbing the heart. This wasn't Will; this was some strange demon who had taken his name.

He pushed her down on the bunk, pulling at her clothes. She punched him as hard as she could, which was enough to break his nose and make him jerk back with a shouted expletive. He wiped his blood, which she noticed was ice blue rather than red, off his face. Then he turned back to her, anger making him incredibly dangerous. He shoved her down beneath him and started cutting her clothes off with his dagger, which he'd grabbed off a small table. She knew he had won. She would be raped, there wasn't really much she could do. She was glad that Jack had had her first; otherwise, this might have spoiled her for physical intimacy forever. But Jack had showed her it could be wonderful.

Just as Elizabeth gave up, though she still hit at Will, she saw blood suddenly go gushing from his chest. Red blood. She looked up, and found the face, not of a monster, but of her childhood friend and love looming above her. He had a shocked look on his face and a giant hole in his chest where his heart had been. He looked at her, half clothed, her dress a tattered mess, then he quickly rolled off.

"Elizabeth. Can you…ever…forgive me? I'm…so sorry. Did I…hurt you?" Elizabeth cried quietly as she watched Will dying. "No, you didn't hurt me. The thing you became was going to hurt me, but…this happened. I'll be fine, and…I forgive you. I love you Will." Elizabeth sobbed as Will breathed his last, a small smile on his lips. She did love him. He was like a brother. She was glad he died forgiven and loved.

She walked out of the cabin and found several relatively normal, but very old, men wondering around on the deck. The ship looked old and creaky and about to sink. So, this was why the _Dutchman _had been still cursed after Jones' death. The captain must die on the ship to break the curse, and Jones had died on the _Black Pearl. _She looked at the old men and queried, "Can you take me to the Island of Devil's Death? Please?" she had covered herself with a blanket from Will's bed, she was crying, and she was covered in blood.

The old men agreed, and within three hours they met the _Pearl _going the other direction. Jack stood on the deck, and grinned when he saw Elizabeth. His grin faded when he noticed that she was covering herself with a blanket and was covered in dry blood. He hoped it wasn't her own. He threw down a boarding plank and held open his arms. Lizzie practically flew across the boarding plank into his embrace, sobbing. Without so much as a glance at the crews off the two ships, who were staring, he picked her up and carried her to his cabin.

"Lizzie. Lizzie, did he hurt you? Are you all right? Whose blood is all this?" She suddenly saw all the blood and began crying harder. He took the blanket off and felt despair at the fact that her clothes had evidently been cut from her. Her dress covered very little. "Did he do it Lizzie? Did he take you?" she sniffled, shaking her head. "No…_sniff_…He…was about to, but you…_snuffle_…stabbed his heart. He…he was back to normal…and he was sorry…all the blood…"

Jack wrapped her in a clean blanket, then called some of his men to warm up freshwater from the kegs in the storage room. When they brought it in, he helped her into the tub, then just let her tell everything that had happened while she scrubbed the remainder of Will's blood off. He knew her emotional needs should be foremost in his mind, so he kept his eyes on her face. Nothing was wrong with his peripheral vision though, a fact which he rather enjoyed. She was talking about how she had been sure she was going to be violated, then the horror and relief of Will dying, when she caught Jack peeking downward out of the corner of his eyes. Looking sheepish, he jerked his gaze back to her face. She laughed. "I'm not going to slap you Jack. I'm your wife; you do have rather a right to look." He looked at her, uncharacteristically serious. "I know, it's just…did he make you…afraid? Of being…intimate?" She smiled, stepping out of the tub. She grabbed a towel, dried herself, then sat on the bed and looked at him, grinning mischievously.

"No."


End file.
